Goodbye N.Y.

Time to say goodbye to the place where I was born and where I have lived my entire life. I've had many great fishing experiences and countless moments that are still as clear in my memory as the days that they happened. There's no doubt that I do love this place and I will definitely miss it a lot while studying in Montana. I'll never forget all the fish that I've caught, and who I caught them with as well as the ones that I have lost.

A Remote Adirondack Pond

This year was one of my most memorable years of fly fishing. My goals for the year seemed complex. A 20+ inch brown and a 20+ inch LLS were just a few that were on my list of goals. As the season went on I developed new goals such as discovering new native brook trout streams. For the past few months I have found 16 brand new brook trout streams, each with very healthy populations of wild brookies. Most of these streams were actually very close to where I live and had been right under my nose for years. I continued to fish brookies throughout my remaining time here and at this point in the year Brook Trout are easily in the lead for numbers of fish caught (which has never happened before). Other than the Brook trout, I did end up reaching all of my goals. I completed  my Brown Trout goal right off the bat on Easter Sunday with a mammoth 24" brown. The biggest surprise of the season was on July 20th when me and Chris fished a very remote brook trout stream and were stunned when we both landed huge wild Landlocked salmon, mine being 20 inches. Other great catches so far this year include a 13 inch native brookie from that same remote stream, a 19 inch Smallmouth Bass from Schroon Lake, and an 18 inch rainbow from Brant Lake.

My Big LLS

On Saturday I'll begin the voyage across the country, driving with my mom. When we reach Montana I'll be stopping along the way to Missoula to fish the Yellowstone, Big Horn, Madison, Gallitan and Beaverhead Rivers. It really has been a great year so far. However, I think its safe to say.....things are just getting started.

STAY TUNED FOR MY FIRST REPORTS FROM OUT WEST!.....